1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a shopping bag and shopping bag support for use by a handicapped person and, more particularly, to a shopping bag support that is foldable as well as being removably mountable to a wheelchair.
2. The Prior Art
Untold thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of people are required to use a wheelchair for personal mobility. A conventional wheelchair, as the name implies, consists of a pair of large wheels between which a chair or seat is suspended. Stability and steerability is provided by a pair of small, castered wheels, one in front of each large wheel. The wheelchair is foldable in that the seat is collapsible to allow the two, large wheels to be brought into abutment thereby significantly reducing the total volumetric space occupied by the wheelchair upon being folded.
Clearly, the wheelchair has proven to be a boon to handicapped persons because it provides each handicapped individual with a greater range of mobility than would otherwise have been possible. However, I have found that shopping while seated in a wheelchair can be an extremely frustrating experience. Specifically, any items selected for purchase must be held in the lap of the wheelchair occupant until reaching the checkout stand. This is not unduly burdensome if one intends to purchase only one or two items. However, if one is grocery shopping and intends to purchase, say, one gallon of milk, a dozen eggs, a loaf of bread, a carton of ice cream, a package of frozen vegetables, to name few, one can readily note that it would be impossible to transport these items safely and comfortably while riding in a wheelchair in the absence of some sort of shopping bag system.
The patent of Bennet U.S. Pat. No. 3,759,569 discloses a receptacle attachment for fixed mounting to a wheelchair arm. The receptacle is hinged to allow it to be opened outwardly into a receptacle configuration or closed into a slim profile configuration beneath the armrest.
The patent of Wood U.S. Pat. No. 4,815,688 discloses a mounting structure for attachment to a geriatric chair, wheelchair, or the like. A horizontal shroud 42 is configured to be bolted to the frame of the wheelchair and supports a vertically oriented socket. A variety of different items such as an armrest, a shopping basket (FIG. 10), each have a stanchion which is configured to be telescopically received in the socket. The socket thereby provides a secure vertical support while at the same time allowing the item supported thereby to be moved in a horizontal arc.
Numerous other references disclose such features as a basket carrier for a wheeled stroller, see Wasyluk U.S. Pat. No. 2,904,237; a wheelchair table and desk attachment, see Lee U.S. Pat. No. 4,632,451; a basket or tray for attachment to a wheelchair, see Yanez et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,356,059; a container basket for a wheelchair, see Trubiano U.S. Pat. No. 4,339,063; a basket and tray attachment for a wheelchair, see Bowman et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,526,419; a convenience basket, desk top or tray mounting system for a wheelchair, see Davis U.S. Pat. No. 4,580,803; a storage compartment for a wheelchair, see Maxwell U.S. Pat. No. 5,207,477; a wheelchair armrest storage compartment, see Schumacher U.S. Pat. No. 4,730,869; a wheelchair armboard, see Van Hamme U.S. Pat. No. 5,505,412; a food and item tray for a wheelchair, see Malone U.S. Pat. No. 4,659,099; a wheelchair armrest and pouch, see Sanders U.S. Pat. No. 5,154,331; and a receptacle attachment for a wheelchair arm, see Bennet U.S. Pat. No. 3,759,569.
However, as can be readily noted from each of these cited references, most of them are awkward, require tools for the purpose of mounting the structure to the wheelchair and is thus essentially a permanent attachment to the wheelchair, or reside directly across the lap of the wheelchair occupant. This means that in order for the wheelchair occupant to be able to leave the wheelchair and transfer to an automobile, for example, the entire tray and its contents must be removed in order for the wheelchair occupant to be able to exit the wheelchair. Further, if one desires to remove the structure from the wheelchair when not in use then tools are required to remove the accompanying support structure from the wheelchair.
In view of the foregoing, it would be an advancement in the art to provide a shopping bag support for supporting a shopping bag to the side of the wheelchair occupant. Another advancement would be to provide a shopping bag support wherein the shopping bag is readily removable from the shopping bag support. It also would be an advancement in the art to provide a foldable shopping bag support that is easily mountable to a wheelchair for use. It would also be an advancement in the art to provide a foldable shopping bag support that is easily demountable from the wheelchair and in the absence of tools. It would also be an advancement in the art to provide a mountable/demountable shopping bag support for a wheelchair having adjustable support struts. Another advancement in the art would be to provide a foldable wheelchair shopping bag support that readily slips over the armrest of a wheelchair. Another advancement in the art would be to provide a retainer apparatus for the armrest of the wheelchair that provides secure support for the foldable shopping bag support while at the same time presenting a visually pleasing appearance and a smooth profile that is comfortable to the touch. It would also be an advancement in the art to provide a method for supporting a shopping bag on the side of a wheelchair. Such a novel shopping basket apparatus and method is disclosed and claimed herein.